CABBAGE
Brassica oleracea capitata
The Cabbage is a great subject, and competes with the Potato for
pre-eminence in the cottage garden, in the market garden, and on the
farm, sometimes with such success as to prove the better paying crop of
the two. It may
be said in a general way that a Cabbage may be grown
almost anywhere and anyhow; that it will thrive on any soil, and that
the seed may be sown any day in the year. All this is nearly possible,
and proves that we have a wonderful plant to deal with; but it is too
good a friend of man to be treated, even in a book, in an off-hand
manner. The Cabbage may be called a lime plant, and a clay plant; but,
like almost every other plant that is worth growing, a deep well-tilled
loam will suit it better than any other soil under the sun. It has one
persistent plague only. Not the Cabbage butterfly; for although that is
occasionally a troublesome scourge, it is not persistent, and may be
almost invisible for years together. Nor is it the aphis, although in a
hot dry season that pest is a fell destroyer of the crop. The great
plague is club or anbury, for which there is no direct remedy or
preventive known. But indirectly the foe may be fought successfully. The
crop should be moved about, and wherever Cabbage has been grown, whether
in a mere seed-bed or planted out, it should be grown no more until the
ground has been well tilled and put to other uses for one year at least,
and better if for two or three years. There are happy lands whereon club
has never been seen, and the way to keep these clear of the pest is to
practise deep digging, liberal manuring, and changing the crops to
different ground as much as possible. A mild outbreak of club may
generally be met by first removing the warts from the young plants, and
then dipping them in a puddle made of soot, lime, and clay. But when it
appears badly amongst the forward plants, their growth is arrested, the
plot becomes offensive, and the only course left is to draw the bad
plants, burn them, and give up Cabbage growing on those quarters for
several years. The question as to why the roots of brassicaceous plants
are subject to this scourge on some soils, while plants from the same
seed-bed remain healthy when transferred to different land, is deeply
interesting, and the subject is discussed later on in the chapter on
'The Fungus Pests of certain Garden Plants.' Here it is sufficient to
say that the presence of the disease is generally an indication that the
soil is deficient in lime. A dressing at the rate of from 14 to 28 or
even 56 pounds per square pole may be necessary to restore healthy
conditions. The outlay will not be wasted, for lime is not merely a
preventive, it has often an almost magical influence on the fertility of
land.
For general purposes Cabbages may be classified as early and late. The
early kinds are extremely valuable for their earliness, but only a
sufficient quantity should be grown, because, as compared with
mid-season and late sorts, they are less profitable. In the scheme of
cropping it may be reckoned that a paying crop of Cabbage will occupy
the ground through a whole year; for although this may not be an exact
statement, the growing time will be pretty well gone before the ground
is clear. After Cabbage, none of the Brassica tribe should be put on the
land, and, if possible, the crop to follow should be one requiring less
of sulphur and alkalies, for of these the Cabbage is a great consumer,
hence the need for abundant manuring in preparation for it. The presence
of sulphur explains the offensiveness of the exhalations from Cabbage
when in a state of decay.
Spring-sown Cabbage for Summer and Autumn use.--To insure the best
succession of Cabbage it will be necessary to recognise four distinct
sowings, any of which, save the autumnal sowing, may be omitted. Begin
with a sowing of the earliest kinds in the month of February. For this,
pans or boxes must be used, and the seed should be started in a pit or
frame, or in a cool greenhouse. When forward enough, prick out in a bed
of light rich soil in a cold frame, and give plenty of air. Before the
seedlings become crowded harden them off and plant out, taking care to
lift them tenderly with earth attached to their roots to minimise the
check. These will heart quickly and be valued as summer Cabbages. The
second sowing is to be made in the last week of March, and to consist of
early kinds, including a few of the best type of Coleworts. As these
advance to a planting size, they may be put out a few at a time as plots
become vacant, and they will be useful in various ways from July to
November or later. A third sowing may be made in the first or second
week of May of small sorts and Coleworts; and these again may be planted
out as opportunities occur, both in vacant plots for hearting late in
the year, and as stolen crops in odd places to draw while young. The
second and third sowings need not be pricked out from the seed-bed, but
may be taken direct therefrom to the places where they are to finish
their course.
In planting out, the spacing must be regulated according to the size of
the variety grown. If put out in beds, the plants may be placed from
one to two feet apart, and the rows one and a half to two feet asunder.
All planting should be done in showery weather if possible, or with a
falling barometer. It may not always be convenient to wait for rain, and
happily it is a peculiarity of Brassicas, and of Cabbage in particular,
that the plants will endure, after removal, heat and drought for some
time with but little harm, and again grow freely after rain has fallen.
But good cultivation has in view the prevention of any such check. At
the best it is a serious loss of time in the brief growing season.
Therefore in droughty weather it will be advisable to draw shallow
furrows and water these a day in advance of the planting, and if labour
and stuff can be found it will be well to lay in the furrows a
sprinkling of short mulchy manure to follow instantly upon the watering;
then plant with the dibber, and the work is done. If the mulch cannot be
afforded, water must be given, and to water the furrows in advance is
better than watering after the planting, as a few observations will
effectually prove. If drought continues, water should be given again and
again. The trouble must be counted as nothing compared with the certain
loss of time while the plant stands still, to become, perhaps, infested
with blue aphis, and utterly ruined. As a matter of fact, a little water
may be made to go a long way, and every drop judiciously administered
will more than repay its cost. The use of the hoe will greatly help the
growth, and a little earth may be drawn towards the stems, not to the
extent of 'moulding-up,' for that is injurious, but to 'firm' the plants
in some degree against the gales that are to be expected as the days
decline.
Autumn-sown Cabbage for Spring and Summer use.--The fourth, or autumn,
sowing is by far the most important of the year, and the exact time when
seed should be put in deserves careful consideration. A strong plant is
wanted before winter, but the growth must not be so far advanced as to
stand in peril from severe and prolonged frost. There is also the risk
that plants which are too forward may bolt when spring arrives. In some
districts it is the practice to sow in July, and to those who find the
results entirely satisfactory we have nothing to say. Our own
experiments have convinced us that, for the southern counties, August is
preferable, and it is wise to make two sowings in that month, the first
quite early and the second about a fortnight later. Here it is necessary
to observe that the selection of suitable varieties is of even greater
consequence than the date of sowing. A considerable number of the
Cabbages which possess a recognised value for spring sowing are
comparatively useless when sown in August. Success depends on the
capability of the plant to form a heart when the winter is past instead
of starting a seed-stem, and this reduces the choice to very narrow
limits. Among the few Cabbages which are specially adapted for August
sowing, Sutton's Harbinger, April, Flower of Spring, Favourite, and
Imperial may be favourably mentioned, and even in small gardens at least
two varieties should be sown. Where Spring Cabbages manifest an unusual
tendency to bolt, sowing late in August, followed by late planting, will
generally prove a remedy, always assuming that suitable varieties have
been sown.
The planting of autumn-sown Cabbages should be on well-made ground,
following Peas, Beans, or Potatoes, and as much manure should be dug in
as can be spared, for Cabbage will take all it can get in the way of
nourishment. If the entire crop is to be left for hearting, a minimum of
fifteen inches each way will be a safe distance for the smallest
varieties. Supposing every alternate plant is to be drawn young for
consumption as Coleworts, a foot apart will suffice, but in this case
the surplus plants must be cleared off by the time spring growth
commences. This procedure will leave a crop for hearting two feet apart,
and when the heads are cut the stumps will yield a supply of Sprouts. As
these Sprouts appear when vegetables are none too plentiful, they are
welcome in many households, and make a really delicate dish of greens.
By sowing quick-growing varieties of Cabbage in drills during July and
August, and thinning the plants early, thus avoiding the check of
transplanting, heads may often be had fit for cutting in October and
November.
The Red Cabbage is grown for pickling and also for stewing, being in
demand at many tables as an accompaniment to roasted partridges. The
plant requires the best ground that can be provided for it, with double
digging and plenty of manure. Two sowings may be made, the first in
April for a supply in autumn for cooking, and the second in August for a
crop to stand the winter and to supply large heads for pickling.
Previous: BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Next: SAVOY CABBAGE
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